1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to cleaning apparatus and more specifically, to apparatus for cleaning vehicle windows.
2. Description of the Art
Various tools are available to clean the exterior surface of vehicle windows. Such tools typically include a handle and a perpendicularly oriented cleaning element, such as a wiper blade, sponge rubber pad and combinations thereof. Water or ammonia based cleaning fluid is applied to the exterior surface of the vehicle window and scraped off by the tools to remove debris. Such tools are easy to use on the exterior surface of vehicle windows since the exterior surface of the vehicle windows is easily accessible both to apply cleaning fluid to the windows and to remove the fluid and debris from the windows.
However, such tools are ineffective in cleaning the inner surface of vehicle windows. The extreme angles of the vehicle windshield and backlight with respect to the dashboard and rear seat shelf in conjunction with adjacent vehicle components, such as the rear view mirror, steering wheel and rear, center brake light housing make it difficult to get the edges of a cleaning tool close to the extreme lower edges of the windshield and backlight. In addition, applying fluid, which is typically in the form of a spray, to the inner surfaces of the windshield and backlight results in a significant amount of the spray being deposited on the underlying horizontal surfaces adjacent to the windows, such as the vehicle dashboard and the rear shelf.
Thus, the most common implements used to clean the inner surfaces of vehicle windows are sponges, rags and paper towels. Manual force is exerted through the user""s hands to manually apply cleaning fluid and/or spray to the inner surface of the windows and then to manipulate the cleaning element in a back and forth or circular motion across the surface of the windows. While a user may be able with a considerable amount of effort to clean most of the inner surface of the vehicle window, it is still difficult to completely clean the edges of the window and, more importantly, the lower edges of a vehicle windshield and backlight.
A variety of tools have been devised specifically to clean the inner surfaces of vehicle windows. Such tools are typically formed of a pad which is connected to an elongated handle. A cleaning element is attached to one side of the pad by various means including clips, straps, or hook and pile fasteners. However, each of these tools is specifically devised for a single type of cleaning operation, such if as scrubbing or drying, but not both.
While such tools improve the reach of the user, it is believed that further improvements can be made to make the cleaning apparatus easier to use, to provide easily detachable and interchangeable mounting of different shaped pads to the handle, as well as to provide easy replacement of wet, soiled cleaning elements. It is also believed that such cleaning apparatus can be improved by providing a system approach in which multiple, different cleaning elements for scrubbing, washing and drying windows or other surfaces are interchangeably mountable on a single handle, or preferably, a plurality of different shaped handles thereby adapting the cleaning system of the present invention to many different applications.
The present invention is a cleaning apparatus suited for cleaning and drying various surfaces, such as the interior and exterior surfaces of vehicle windows.
In one aspect, the cleaning apparatus includes a substantially rigid paddle having first and second opposed surfaces. A handle is pivotally connected on one end to the first surface of the paddle. A cleaning element is removably affixed to the paddle. The cleaning element includes a first surface mountable in registry with the second surface of the paddle and side edges disposed over a peripheral portion of the paddle. Elastic means are provided on the side edges of the cleaning element for elastically securing the cleaning element about the paddle.
Preferably, the cleaning element forms part of a cleaning system which includes at least two distinct cleaning elements, one a washing or scrubbing element and, another, a drying body formed of an absorbent material. The ends of the side edges of the cleaning element are drawn inward by the elastic means to form an opening normally smaller than the periphery of the paddle. Pivot means are cooperatively formed on the first surface of the paddle and the one end of the handle for pivotally connecting the paddle to the handle.
In one aspect, pivot means includes first and second pivot pins extending coaxially outward from opposed sides of one end of the handle. First and second receivers are mounted on the paddle for receiving the first and second pivot pins, respectively.
In another aspect of the present invention, the above-described cleaning apparatus forms part of a cleaning system which includes a first handle, a plurality of cleaning elements of the same or different shape, and a plurality of paddles, at least some of which have a different peripheral shape. The cleaning elements are easily mountable on any of the paddles to enable a clean and dry cleaning element to be used whenever needed. In addition, each of the paddles is quickly and easily attachable and detachable from the handle for ease in using the cleaning system of the present invention.
In yet another aspect, the cleaning apparatus and cleaning system of the present invention includes a second handle having a generally inverted U-shape with opposed lower ends extending oppositely outward from each other. The handle ends are releasably mountable in a second pair of receivers formed on each paddle. The paddles receive cleaning elements as in the above-described aspects of the invention.
Generally, the second handle is of one-piece construction with lower S-shaped side legs extending between an upper hand engagement portion and the ends. The S-shaped side legs are is configured to absorb forces exerted by the user on the handle during movement of the paddle. The second set receivers may also be formed on the same paddles in the first aspect of the invention. This enables either the first or second handles to be employed with any paddle thereby further enhancing the interchangeability of the various components of the cleaning system of the present invention.
In another aspect, a single receiver is mounted generally along the longitudinal center line axis of the paddle. The receiver has a first open end extending through the paddle. The first open end has a first diameter sized to slidably receive a ball mounted on the end of an elongated handle or handle connector. The other second end of the receiver has a smaller opening sized to trap the ball in the receiver. A plug having a ball shaped seat is slidable through the first open end of the receiver and locked in place to trap the ball and handle or handle connector in the receiver. In one aspect, slots extend from the second end of the receiver to allow rotation of the ball and the handle or handle connector along only one axis.
In another aspect, a U-shaped receiver is mounted transversely on the paddle and has a slot-like opening of a first spacing slightly less than the diameter of an end portion of the handle to allow the end portion of the handle to snap through the smaller end into a larger diameter portion of the receiver wherein the handle is rotatable in the receiver; but is held in the receiver by the smaller opening of the receiver.
In another aspect, the pivot means includes two legs formed on the paddle, each having an aperture formed therein. A U-shaped, resilient member has outward turned ends which act as pivot pins when mounted in the apertures through legs on the paddle. The central portion of the U-shaped member has a nominal width wider than the interior diameter of a bore extending from a first end of the handle to enable the U-shaped member to be press fit within the open end of the handle to pivotally connect the handle to the paddle.
In yet another aspect, the receiver has a magnetic latch which holds a pivotal flap in the closed position rotatably trapping a rod-like end portion of the handle in the receiver. The flap may be easily moved to the open position to allow the handle to be disengaged.
The cleaning apparatus from the receiver and cleaning system of the present invention affords numerous advantages over prior cleaning apparatus devised for cleaning various surfaces, such as the interior and exterior surfaces of vehicle windows. The present cleaning system enables a plurality of different shaped paddles and attached washing, scrubbing and drying elements to be detachably mounted on a handle for use in practically any surface cleaning application, such as vehicle windows. The cleaning apparatus lends itself to use as part of a cleaning system formed of one or more handles, a plurality of different shaped paddles, and releasably attachable cleaning elements. The cleaning elements are easily mountable and removable from the paddles and the paddles are easily attachable and detachable to any of the handles. The present cleaning apparatus enables a user, for example, to easily reach the lower edges of the interior surface of vehicle windows adjacent to the vehicle dash board or rear backlight despite the extreme angles of such windows with respect to interior vehicle surfaces and the adjacent rear view mirror, steering wheel or rear center brake light assembly housing.